School's out, but H1N1 flu still affecting kids (and working parents)

The H1N1 flu (the pandemic formerly known as swine flu) is no longer front and center in the news, upstaged by protests in Iran and a southern governor who says he was hiking the Appalachian Trail but was really having an adulterous affair. You might think the worrisome virus has completed its journey. The anecdotal stories making their way around our area tell a different story: Kids hit by fevers at the end of the school year were sent home and asked to stay home for at least a week, final exams waived if need be. So do letters going out to parents about summer camps. The one from our township reads that a "Stay Home When You're Sick" policy will be strictly enforced.

"Local physicians are reporting Influenza-like illness (ILI), which is defined as fever over 100 degrees F AND Cough and/or sore throat in absence of another known cause which is not typical for this time of year." If your child has those symptoms, he or she needs to stay home for at least seven days--even if they feel better. Meanwhile, the Muscular Dystrophy Association has canceled all summer camps for kids with Muscular Dystophy, who are even more vulnerable to flu complications because of weakened respiratory muscles.

All of this is a stark reminder for all of us to keep doing what we can to avoid the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• Stay home if you are sick for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

Seven days! Clearly, this pandemic must still be having a big impact on working parents who must care for sick children while juggling work schedules and sick time they may or not have to take at work. Many parents don't have paid sick leave, which creates a stressful situation on top of parents stressed about their family's health.

Have you had to stay home because of flu-like symptoms for you or someone in your family? Has it been a tough juggle?

More on H1N1 flu:
Swine flu myths and facts
5 tips to help protect your kids from swine flu